Juszkiewicz said: "Gibson is innocent and will fight to protect its rights. Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of any wrong doing. We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence."

"Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of any wrong doing." Henry Juszkiewicz

He continued: "Agents seized wood that was Forest Stewardship Council controlled. Gibson has a long history of supporting sustainable and responsible sources of wood and has worked diligently with entities such as the Rainforest Alliance and Greenpeace to secure FSC-certified supplies. The wood seized on 24 August satisfied FSC standards.

"The Federal Department of Justice in Washington, DC, has suggested that the use of wood from India that is not finished by Indian workers is illegal, not because of US law, but because it is the Justice Department's interpretation of a law in India.

"If the same wood from the same tree was finished by Indian workers, the material would be legal. This action was taken without the support and consent of the government in India."

According to The Tennessean, Federal agents were tight-lipped about the reasons for Wednesday's simultaneous raids in Nashville and Memphis: "We can't get into specifics right now," said Nicholas Chavez, special agent in charge with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, "This is an ongoing investigation."

Eyewitness accounts suggest that tourists arriving at the Gibson Factory in downtown Memphis found themselves locked outside the facility while the raid took place. Meanwhile, in Nashville, "news reporters and photographers strained to see what was happening from across the street."